Blank-cabinet.



Patented Aug. l5, I899.

. a. u. MEGHUIER.

BLANK CABINET.

3 Sheets-$heet :No Model) Patented Aug. l5, I899.

G. H. MEGOUIER. BLANK CABINET.

(Application filed Oct. 6, 1897.1

(No Model.)

Nn. 63!,257. Patented Aug. I5, 1899. G. H. MEGDUIEB.

BLANK CABINET.

(Application filed Oct. 8, 1897.1 N o M o d e l 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 the blank-receptacles.

of the door open.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. MEGQUIER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BLANK-CABINET.

enamels-won rormmg art of Letters Patent No. 631,257, dated. August 1'5, 1899. Application filed October 6, 1897. Serial No. 654,272. (No model-9 like articles and holding the same in a position to be accessible for use; and my invention has for its primary object to provide an improved form of cabinet of this character in,

which each set of blanks or other class of articles contained therein may be held in a very compact form and in such a manner that one or more blanks, as desired, may be readily and conveniently extracted from the rest.

More specifically stated, the object of my invention is to provide means whereby a series or plurality of blank-receptacles held in a compact form may be readily separated one from the other or others, so as to present the blanks in the separateclone in a convenient position to be grasped by the user.

With these general objects in view my in vention consists in certain-features of novelty by which the said objects and certain minor objects hereinafter appearing are at-' tained, all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my improved blankcabinet, showing the door on one side open. Fig. 2 is a plan section thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the side Fig. 4: is a vertical transverse sectional viewtaken on the line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail plan sectional view hereinafter described. Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one of Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the outer end of one of the tripping-rods hereinafter described. Fig. Sis a front elevation of a modified form. Fig. 9 is a verticaltransverse sectional view thereof, taken on the line 9 9, Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a plan section taken on the line 10 10, Fig. 9; and Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 9, show ingthe door open, with some of the blankreceptacles tilted against it.

Like signs of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention I employ a 1 series or plurality of tilting blank-receptacles standing on edge, preferably in close propinquity to and resting against each other and being so arranged that one or more of these receptacles, as desired, may be tilted outwardly away from the others, so as to present the contained blanks in a convenient position for extraction. In one instance these receptacles may be normally inclined or tilted toward the opening in the cabinet 'or toward the user, so that by the release of suitable mechanism one or more of them may be caused to tilt forwardly or toward the user against a suitable stop, and being thus separated from the balance of the receptacles its blanks are readily accessible to the hand of the user, W110 may conveniently extract a single blank without the exercise of special care in making the selection, the only care required being that which is exercised in singling out the proper receptacle, and this may be done by convenient mechanism, as will hereinafter appear. In another instance the blank-receptacles may be tilted or inclined normally away from the door of the cabinet or'from the user and employed in connection with suitable tripping rods or devices for tilting one or more of them, as desired, forwardly toward the door or user and beyond the perpendicular, whereby their outward movement will be continued until arrested by a suitable stop, such as the door itself, whereupon the blanks in the uppermost one of the outwardly-tilted receptacles may be removed one at a time in the manner before explained and with the same facility.

Referring now more particularly to the form of my invention shown in Figs. Ito 7, inclusive, 1 represents a casing or cabinet, which is here shown as composed of two compartments, each closed by a door- 2, hinged at its lower end to the bottom of the cabinet fand having a suitable latch 3 at its upper end, whereby it may be held in its closed position. This double form of the cabinet, however, is immaterial, and therefore in the description of my invention I will refer to one side only. Arranged within the cabinet in an upright position is the series or plurality of tilting blank-receptacles 4, each of which, for the sake of convenience in placing them and ease of operation when in place, may be provided at its lower end with a trunnion 5, seated in one of the notches of a bar 6, extending horizontally along each side of the series of receptacles and being secured to the side or bottom of the cabinet or casing in any suitable way. The notches in the bar 6 are so formed with relation to the thickness of the receptacles 4 that the lower ends of such receptacles will be held a slight distance apart, permitting their upper ends to rest against each other in such a way that the entire series when the door of the cabinet is closed will recline against the back of the casin g in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 3, the inclination being sufficient to enable the outermost one of the tilting receptacles 4 to recline slightly back of the perpendicular, so that when the door is pushed to with a brisk movement all of the loose receptacles will be tilted to the rear away from the door. The outward movement of the door is limited by a brace 7, pivoted thereto and having a pin-and-slot connection with one wall of the casing, the slot being of sufficient length to permit the door to open at an angle of about forty-five degrees or to any other extent which will enable the user to pass his hand over the top of the door forextracting the blanks from the uppermost one of the receptacles resting against it.

One of the receptacles may be permanently secured to the inner face of the door, so that when the door is open this one will inevitably follow. This may be considered the first of the series, and when it is desired to extract a blank from it it is simply necessary to open the door without other operation, and in order that one or more of the remaining receptacles may be tilted outwardly against the door I provide each with suitable tripping mechanism. This preferably consists of a rod 8, mounted to slide horizontally in one side of the casing, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, and carrying at its inner end a lug or pin 9, adapted to strike against a block or flange 10, formed on or secured to the contiguous side of the receptacle ii. The outer ends of these rods 8 project through the casing, so as to be accessible to the hand of the operator when the door is closed, and, if desired, for convenience the name of the blank contained in the receptacle controlled by this rod may be located on the door just opposite, as shown in Fig. 1. One of these rods Sis provided for each of the receptacles, excepting the one secured to the door, and their outward movement may be limited by a bar or stop 10, secured to the side of the casing in the manner shown in Fig. 4, the same being inclined so as to allow all of the rods the requisite movement. When it is desired to obtain a blank from the rear one of the receptacles 4, for instance, the

door being closed, the top rod 8 is pulled outwardly, so as to tilt the entire series of the receptacles against the door, which, it opened, will carry the entire series outwardly, with the said rear receptacle presented on top, the rear side of each receptacle being cut away or open, as shown at 11, Fig. 6, to provide a finger-aperture, so that the user may readily grasp and extract the blank in the uppermost receptacle. Should a blank from the second receptacle from the door he required, the door being closed, the bottom one of the rods 8 would of course be pulled to tilt such second receptacle against the door, the balance of the receptacles remaining in their inclined positions one against the other and against the back of the casing, as shown in Fig. 3.

In order that the act of opening the door may also tilt the desired receptacle against the door, the outer ends of the rods 8, if desired, may be provided with yielding or deflectable catches 12. One of these is pivoted to the end of each of the rods and is capable of occupying either of two positions, the one being at right angles to the rod and the other in line therewith. The catch 12 is yieldingly held in either of these positions by a bladespring 13, secured to the rod and bearing against a squared heel or hub 14: of the catch. When it is desired to extract a blank, the catch 12 on the rod controlling the proper receptacle is deflected to one side in front of the door in the manner shown in Figs. 5 and 7. It now the door he opened, the rod 8 will be pulled outwardly and all of the receptacles in front of its pin 9 accordingly tilted against the door and carried outwardly with it. As soon as the pin or lug 9 on the rod reaches the stop-bar 1O the inertia of the spring 13 will be overcome and the catch 12 straightened out with the rod, permitting the door to pass.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive, the normal position of the receptacles 4 is the reverse of that already described, or, in other Words, they are tilted normally toward the door or toward the user, or, in short, in the direction in which they move when presenting their contents for extraction. In this instance the receptacles are preferably provided with means for holding them aloof from the door excepting at the time it is desired to tilt one or more of them outwardly for extracting the blanks. The door in this instance, however, may also serve as a stop for limiting their outward movement. In accomplishing this I employ a series of catches or holding-lugs equal in number to the number of receptacles to be detained, and each catch is provided with an accessible handle or operating-piece and the catches so connected together that the release of one catch will eifect the release of all of those in front of it or between itand the door, whereby all of the receptacles detained by such released catches will tilt against the door and be in readiness to be lowered with the door when the latter is opened, the uppermost one of the lowered receptacles containing the blank desired. These catches preferably consist of a number of horizontal rods 15, pivoted loosely upon a shaft orbar 16, extending across the back of the casing and having their forward ends projected through vertical slots 17 in the front side of the casing. Each rod is provided with a beveled lug or tooth 18, adapted to engage with a part of or a projection 19 on the top of each receptacle 4.

When the receptacles are pushed inwardly,

the projections 19 will automatically raise the catches by engaging with the beveled teeth, which will drop in front of and engage with the projections 19 when they pass, the inward movement of the series of receptacles being limited, if desired, by a stop 20 to insure against their being pushed too far back. As more clearly shown in Fig. 10, each of the catches is provided with a laterally-projecting lug 21, extending under the next adjacent one of the rods 15, the rod 15 controlling the first receptacle in the series, however-that is, the one adjacent to the receptacle fixed on the doorbeing free from all the others, so that when such rod is raised none but the one next the door-receptacle will be released; but if the rod at the opposite end of the series is raised all of the others will be raised and all of the receptacles consequently allowed to tilt forwardly against the door.

- Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A blank-cabinet having in combination a series of independently-tilting blank-receptacles, a lug engaging with each of said receptacles and means for moving said lugs independently, substantially as set forth.

2. A blank-cabinet having in combination a casing, a series of independently tilting blank-receptacles located therein, a lug engaging with each of said receptacles, and means for moving said lugs independently from the outside of said casing, substantially as set forth.

3. A blank-cabinet having in combination a series of independently-tilting blank-receptacles, and a number of movable rods each having a lug and said lugs being in engagement with said receptacles respectively, sub stantially as set forth.

4:. A blank-cabinet having in combination a series of independently-tilting blank-receptacles, a lug engaging with each of said re ceptacles and means for moving said lugs both independently and in unison, substantially as set forth.

5. A blank-cabinet having in combination a series of independently-tilting blank-receptacles, a number of movable rods correspond ing with said receptacles respectively, a lug on each of said rods engaging with one of said receptacles, and a connection whereby each rod may move all of the rods on one side but not on the other, substantially as set forth.

6. A blankcabinet having in combination a series of independently-tilting blank-receptacles, a series of independently-movable rods, a lug on each of said rods, engaging with one of said receptacles respectively and a pin projecting from each of said rods under and engaging with the next adjacent rod, sub stantially as set forth.

7. A blank-cabinet having in combination a series of blank-receptacles normally tilted forward and beingindependently removable, and means for releasing said receptacles independently of each other, substantially as set forth.

8. A blank-cabinet having in combination a series of blank-receptacles normally tilted forward, a lug engaging with each of said receptacles for holding it independently of the others, each of said lugs having independent means for its disengagement and an operative connection between each of said lugs and all of the lugs on one side thereof but not on the other, substantially as set forth.

GEORGE H. MEGQUIER.

Witnesses:

' F. A. HOPKINS,

EDNA B. JOHNSON. 

